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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25760458">Seeing Double</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstralArcher12/pseuds/AstralArcher12'>AstralArcher12</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Power Rangers Samurai</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Doppelganger, M/M, Minor Violence, There is only two other uses of that relationship tag, What do I even tag for this?, ones a video with only a brief reference to it and the other i wrote, they actually kiss in this one</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:08:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,355</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25760458</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstralArcher12/pseuds/AstralArcher12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When a shapeshifting Nighlok takes his place, Jayden is captured by the Nighlok and held captive in the Netherworld. Will the other rangers notice the switch in time or will help from an unexpected source save Jayden from a terrible fate?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Deker/Jayden Shiba</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Seeing Double</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I regret nothing. This story was inspired by a comment left on my previous Deker/Jayden fic, Heartstruck. This story also contains references to another previous story, An Eternal Promise. While it is not necessary to read it to understand this one, it will provide context to the story behind the references.</p><p>Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a cool and pleasant morning when Jayden woke up in the Shiba household. It was the kind of day that would be perfect for a jog through the woods. As the others have yet to rise from their slumbers, he decides to go on his own. After having a quick breakfast, Jayden said his goodbyes to Mentor Ji and went on his way, bringing along his samuraizer in case something happens while he’s gone.</p><p>He was halfway through his trip when a group of Moogers appeared from amidst the trees. Realizing the danger he was in, he quickly morphed and began to fight the attacking enemies.</p><p>Back at the Shiba House, alarms began to blare in warning of a Nighlok attack. One by one, the rangers ran from their rooms and into the front room where Mentor Ji was reading the map to pinpoint the attack’s location.</p><p>“The sensors read that a group of Nighlok has emerged in the woods not very far from here. You must hurry, Jayden’s gone for a jog around there. He may be in danger!” Mentor Ji urgently said, looking up at the team. The group nodded and ran off as quickly as they could, worried about the potential danger their friend may be in.</p><p>By the time they arrived at the location, they saw what was the last of the Moogers disappear into a glowing crack in the ground while a disheveled Jayden looked on.</p><p>“Jayden!” Mike called, drawing his leader’s attention from where the crack vanished from. Mike and the others all joined his side, looking him over for any serious injuries.</p><p>“The alarms back at the house went off, what happened?” Antonio said once they were certain of Jayden’s safety. He laid his hand onto his best friend’s shoulder, only to have it quickly shrugged off by the neutral faced young man.</p><p>“I’m fine. It was just a stray group of Moogers, nothing more. Probably were trying to take advantage of my status of being alone,” he replied with a firm voice. The others frowned at his reaction.</p><p>“We’re happy you’re alright then, Jayden,” Emily said softly. The statement finally drew some real emotion from him, a split second of uncertainty on his face before returning to its neutral state. With a sigh, Jayden nodded.</p><p>“Thank you, sorry. The attack ruffled me the wrong way, I guess. Ruined my morning jog and everything,” Jayden apologized. The others all nodded.</p><p>“It’s alright, Jayden,” Mia consoled. “We understand, we all feel the same way. The Moogers woke us all up from our peaceful sleep. Let’s head back to the house so we can take care of those scratches.” Jayden nodded and together, the group headed off in the direction of their home.</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, over in the Netherworld, a group of Moogers dragged their captive onto Master Xandred’s ship and stopped before their general, Octoroo, to show off their prize.</p><p>“Oh ah oh, well done, Moogers!” Octoroo cried. From where he rested on his knees, the captive, the leader of the Samurai Rangers, Jayden Shiba, glared up at the gleeful Nighlok. A paper talisman had been stuck to his forehead, causing him to have difficulty seeing everything completely.</p><p>“My my, they actually managed to catch him. I’m impressed,” Dayu cooed, strolling over to take a look at him. She went to caress his face, but Jayden jerked his head away from her hand, glaring even harder at the female Nighlok. She let out a laugh. “This shall be fun!” She turned and went back to where she had been sitting and kneel down to play with her harmonium. </p><p>“Fun indeed! With the red ranger in our clutches, we’ll be able to free Master Xandred from the power of the sealing symbol in no time!” Octoroo cheered.</p><p>“You’ll never get away with this! My friends will notice I’m missing and stop you!” Jayden shouted, entering a harsh jerk on one of his arms from one of the Moogers holding him. Octoroo only laughed.</p><p>“Silly ranger! They won’t know you’ve been taken until it’s too late. Gemidie is a master of disguise and is able to pretend to be anyone he wants to be, including you!” Octoroo said with a smug voice. </p><p>“You won’t get away with this!” Jayden rebutted, determined to not give up hope, as the Moogers began to drag him away to a holding cell in another part of the ship. Octoroo only laughed as he watched him go, already beginning to plan how he shall torture the ranger for the information he held.</p><p> </p><p>In the Human World, the rangers returned safely to their house, crossing the barrier without any hesitation. Jayden slowed his walk and paused at the doors, glancing uncertainly up as he took in the faint glowing symbols that protect the house. Kevin and Emily, noticing their leader’s position, looked at him in confusion.</p><p>“Is something wrong Jayden?” Kevin asked. Emily tilted her head in curiosity. At his question, Jayden’s attention returned to his friends and gave them a smile. He quickly crossed through the entrance, seeming to let out a held breath as he did. </p><p>“Nothing, just thinking about something,” he said as he passed by them and headed inside. Kevin and Emily gave each other looks before following behind.</p><p>Menter Ji greeted them at the door, letting out a sigh of relief at the sight of Jayden being relatively unharmed. </p><p>“Jayden, thank goodness you’re alright. I was worried when I saw the alert go off near where you were headed,” he said, let his hand on the young man’s shoulder, only to have it brushed off just as Antonio’s had been. Ji gave him a frown at the act as he moved passed him.</p><p>“Thanks, Ji. Fortunately, it was just a small group of Moogers, nothing I can’t handle,” Jayden said as he began to look around the house in analyzing eyes. Kevin and Ji both shared a look as the others joined him. </p><p>“Well, thanks good then. How both we just those scratches looked at, huh?” Mentor Ji carefully said. Jayden, sensing his caution, looked back at him and nodded with a small smile.</p><p>“Good idea, Ji,” he agreed quickly. With that, they headed to the infirmary room. Mentor Ji made quickly work cleaning the scratches on his face before giving him a pat.</p><p>“All good to go, Jayden,” he announced with a soft smile. Jayden made an adverted move away from the hand but stopped himself. He nodded.</p><p>“Thanks, I’m going to hang out in my room for a bit. Fighting with the Moogers tired me out a little,” he replied and left before anyone could say anything else. The group watched the door after he left before looking at each other.</p><p>“Is just me or does Jayden seem a bit off?” Mike asked. Emily nodded her head in agreement.</p><p>“Yeah, he seems more closed off than usual,” she said with an uncertain frown. Ji lowered his head in consideration.</p><p>“Maybe he’s just tired from the fight? He did take them on all by himself,” Mia offered. </p><p>“Yeah, that would ruin anyone’s mood,” Antonio agreed. Ji nodded.</p><p>“It can’t be anything too bad, right? I mean, he wouldn’t be able to pass through the barrier if he had something wrong with him, right?” Kevin asked, looking to Ji for reassurance. Ji nodded once more.</p><p>“Perhaps. I advise we all keep an eye on him in the meantime,” he finally said. The group all nodded.</p><p>“Well, in the meantime, I’m going to eat. All this excitement got me more hungry, especially since I haven’t had breakfast yet,” Mike announced. Emily nodded in agreement and they all followed him out towards the kitchen to start their day more properly. </p><p>Hidden behind the corner of the wall, Jayden listened on as they talked. A sinister sneer appearing on his face as he began thinking of how to continue to fool the rangers into a false sense of calm while his true intentions remained hidden until his work was complete</p><p> </p><p>Hours later, the alarms went off once more, alerting the household to the presence of Nighlok. The rangers ran into the front to look at the map to find where they were headed now. The location marked was a quarry just outside Panorama City’s limits. They all nodded goodbye to Ji as they ran out of the house, ready to kick some Nighlok butt.</p><p>Not long after, they arrived at the quarry and quickly found Moogers scaring off workers and damaging construction equipment. They quickly formed a line facing them.</p><p>“Samuraizer! Ready! Go! Go! Samurai!” Jayden, Kevin, Mia, Mike, and Emily all called out, flipping open their samuraizers and morphing.</p><p>“Samurai Morpher! Gold Power!” Antonio called out along with them, morphing alongside them with his own morpher. After finishing their morph, the Rangers began their attack against the Moogers, splitting up to cover more ground. Kevin and Mike went after one group while Mia and Emily paired up for another, leaving Antonio to help Jayden with the remaining Moogers. Fortunately, the Moogers were not too strong of a match against the rangers and the numbers of Moogers quickly began to deplete.</p><p>Up above, unnoticed by any of the participants of the fight, an observer stood on one of the grassy areas overlooking the whole quarry. The observer, Deker, frowned as he looked on, focusing solely on Jayden in his morphed form. The frown deepened as he noticed something off about the red ranger, something wasn’t right. Quickly losing interest in the battle and knowing another matter more important was at hand. Deker turned and left the hill he was standing on, disappearing into the surrounding trees without a word.</p><p>Back in the quarry, the last few Moogers fell in defeat, disappearing in a puff of smoke signifying its death. The rangers quickly regrouped and unmorphed with a sigh of relief at a job well done. </p><p>“Was it just me or did something seem off about this fight?” Mike asked, wiping some sweat off of his forehead.</p><p>“I felt that way, too. Something just didn’t seem right about this one,” Mia agreed with a worried frown.</p><p>“Guys,” Emily spoke up, looking around them with her own frown, “Shouldn’t there have been a Nighlok with the Moogers to lead them in their attack here?” The others’ eyes widened in realization as they looked around themselves as well. </p><p>“You’re absolutely right, Emily. I didn’t see any Nighlok anywhere during the fight, did you?” Antonio said, looking at the others.</p><p>“Me neither,” Mia admitted with a shake of her head. One by one they shook their heads.</p><p>“What do you think it means?” Kevin asked, looking to a still silent Jayden for guidance. Jayden frowned, not looking any them in the eyes as he tried to think of an answer.</p><p>“They just didn’t have a Nighlok this time. It’s not that weird. Who knows, maybe they’re running out of Nighloks to send over,” he finally said with a shrug of his shoulders and a slight smirk. The others frowned with uncertainty at his answer, looking at each other with doubt in their eyes. Jayden, seeing their dissatisfaction with his explanation, dropped his smirk, and patted Antonio on the shoulder. “Come on you guys, let’s head home. All this fighting’s got me hungry, what about you?” With that, he headed off towards the exit. The other rangers watched as he walked, sharing another look with each other, before following behind him, balls of worry and concern settling heavily in each of their guts.</p><p> </p><p>Jayden raised his head and watched as a pair of clearly panicked Moogers ran down from the upper deck and to Octoroo. They both pointed repeatedly at the stairs, gurgling something in their language. Whatever they said had Octoroo panicking and caused Dayu to stop in the playing of her instrument.</p><p>“Quickly, Moogers, hide the red ranger, and make sure he doesn’t see him!” Octoroo ordered. Other Moogers joined the pair and looked around helplessly before finally deciding to stand in front of Jayden’s cage, blocking his view of the room around him. He leaned his head against the cage without any protest to whatever was happening around him, his head heavy from the exhaustion that has begun to fill his whole being. While the spell tag on his forehead protects him from being outright killed by the toxic air of the Netherworld, it doesn’t protect him completely, only slowing the poisoning of his body.</p><p>Footsteps moving down into the room brought Jayden’s attention to the stairs. Only seeing the space in between the legs of the surrounding Moogers, Jayden watched as a familiar-looking pair of black boots appeared at the bottom of the steps and moved further into the room. As he tried to remember where he had seen those shoes before, the answer came to him in the of Octoroo addressing the newcomer.</p><p>“Oh ah oh, Deker! What do you want now? It better be good,” the Nighlok cried. Jayden lifted his head a little at the name, wondering why Deker would cause such an odd reaction among the Nighlok. The boots shifted.</p><p>“The rangers were fighting a group of Moogers just now, who did you send out to fight them this time?” Deker’s voice calmly asked. </p><p>“That’s hardly any of your business. Just don’t get in our way,” Octoroo quickly replied. </p><p>“So long as it doesn’t get in the way of my battle with the red ranger, then I won’t care who’s getting themselves destroyed this time,” Deker said back. If Jayden had the energy, he would have snorted at the jab at the Nighlok’s compliance, though Deker’s mention at his obsession with battling him did put him off a little. Jayden wasn’t looking forward to the day Deker’s patience ran out and he finally has to fight the Half-Nighlok once and for all. “Though,” Deker spoke once more, “Speaking of the red ranger, I noticed something off about him during the battle.” He seemed to wait for a response from Octoroo, but when none came, he continued. “Despite appearing to be him, I felt like it wasn’t him. Something was different about that red ranger, something that he severely lacks while the normal, or should I say real, red ranger possesses. I don’t suppose you would know anything about that, do you?” </p><p>“Wouldn’t the rangers know if that wasn’t their leader or not?” Dayu finally said from her spot. The female Nighlok rose to her feet and strolled over to the other. “I doubt an imposter would be able to fool them for long before they noticed something was off about them.”</p><p>“Unless, of course, the imposter had the ability to hide their true nature in some way. So, I ask you again, do you know anything about why the red ranger is different?” Deker asked his voice firmer with his refusal to be dissuaded from his question. Jayden held his breath as he waited for Octoroo’s answer.</p><p>“Of course not! Now don’t ask me again and just go away. I have no time for your ridiculous questions!” Octoroo cried. Deker let out a “hmm” at the answer and turned to leave. Just before the stairs, he stopped and his boots turned to face the cage.</p><p>“Is there any reason for the Moogers to be standing in such a way in front of the ship’s cage, that any prisoner that it may contain would be completely blocked from view?” Deker asked. Jayden smiled.</p><p>“Oh ah oh! How should I know? Nothing Moogers do truly make sense some of the time,” Octoroo said. Deker seemed to watched the Moogers for a moment, before turning to leave once more. Feeling a bit rebellious, Jayden refused to let Deker go without his answers.</p><p>“Perhaps,” Jayden managed to spit out in as loud of a voice as he could, “They fear that what is inside may spur an unwanted reaction from you.” Jayden took several heavy breaths as the even the simple act of speaking took much out of him. Everything seemed to freeze as no one dared to move. Then, Deker stepped down from the stair and moved in front of the Moogers blocking the cage door.</p><p>“Move,” Deker commanded in a dangerously low voice. The Moogers all began to tremble in fear of the swordsman. Something hidden from Jayden’s eye must have happened, because a second later, the Moogers were all tripping over themselves to get as far from the cage and Deker as possible, some even fleeing to the upper parts of the ship in their effort. Jayden was greeted by the sight of Deker staring intensely down at him, his usual frown giving nothing away of his thoughts. The man considered him for a moment, taking in the weakened state he was in, before kneeling down. “Gemidie?” was all he said, looking over his shoulder to Octoroo. The squid Nighlok nodded. Deker turned back to Jayden. He studied him for a few moments more before standing once more. “Fine. It’s obvious that Uramasa was mistaken in its decision of choosing this one as my opponent. Anyone who is weak enough to allow themselves to be captured is unworthy of my blade.” He looked at Octoroo and Dayu. “You need not worry about my inference.” With that, he left, leaving the rest of them all stunned by the development. </p><p>“Oh ah oh! How wonderful! With Deker out of the way, we won’t need to worry about any trouble anymore!” Octoroo cried, clapping his hands in delight. “Now all that’s left to figure out how we’re going to get the red ranger to reveal the secrets of the sealing symbol! How wonderful indeed!” Jayden ignored the Nighlok, staring after the disappeared form of what may have been his only hope of escaping this place. His heart felt heavy as the hope died in his chest, sucking the last of energy from him, and pulling him into a deep sleep.</p><p> </p><p>Jayden was brought out of his sleep at the sound of something moving around on the deck above. He took a look around and found that time has passed since he fell asleep. It was now night, or whatever equivalent the Nighlok’s had to it in the Netherworld. All around him, the inhabitants of the ship laid sleeping. Even the Furry Warts were snoozing away, soft giggles were let out in between their tiny snorting. Jayden carefully moved from his leaning position against the cage wall and listened as the boards above him creaked once more. He shifted over to the other wall nearest to the stairs that led up to the deck, curious to see who else was awoken at such an odd hour of the night. Soon, the movement from above reached the steps and whoever they were, began to creep down them. Jayden’s eyes flicked over to where the Nighlok all still laid sleeping, unaware of their nighttime visitor. When Jayden looked back at the stairs, he was shocked to see none other than Deker in his Nighlok form stepping down from the last step. Jayden opened his mouth to voice his surprise to see the half-Nighlok, but Deker held up a finger to where his lips would be. Jayden closed his mouth and nodded, understanding the Nighlok’s desire for silence, his eyes glancing at the other Nighloks to check on their still sleeping state.</p><p>Deker moved over to Jayden’s cell, crouching down to take a look at the lock that held the door in place. The ranger watched in disbelief as the man made quick work of it, unlocking it with a soft click. The pair both looked over at the others at the sound. Fortunately, none woke. Reassured, Deker slowly opened to the cell door and pulled the ranger up with him as he stood. Jayden bit his lips to prevent crying out as his legs failed him in his weakened state, causing him to fall forward. Deker moved his free arm forward to catch the ranger, steadying him. Jayden looked at Deker in surprise and worry, knowing that any escape would be greatly difficult in the state he was in. Quickly running through his options in his mind, Deker seemed to have decided on the simplest one. He grabbed the ranger from around his waist and threw him over his shoulder, causing the young man to let out a gasp of surprise at the sudden movement. Deker quickly shushed him and began his trek back up the steps. </p><p>Once they reached the upper deck, Deker moved over to the side of the ship. Preparing himself for a second, Deker used his Nighlok power to jump from the ship and onto the shore nearby. Onshore, he placed the ranger onto the ground and turned to take a look at the ship. After hearing no shouts of anger from any of the occupants, Deker turned back to his companion.</p><p>“We’re far enough from the ship to safely speaking now, red ranger,” he said in his usual calm voice.</p><p>“What are you doing here?” Jayden demanded, his voice still soft in fear of the Nighloks somehow being able to hear him even from the great distance.</p><p>“I’m here to rescue you, I thought that would be obvious by now,” Deker said back, despite now having any facial expressions, Jayden could still hear the smirk he would have otherwise.</p><p>“But why? I thought you wanted nothing to do with someone weak enough to be captured by their enemies” Jayden asked bitterly. Before Deker could answer, shouts began coming from inside the ship.</p><p>“No time for questions now. We need to go immediately,” Deker urged, leaning forwards to help him up once more. Jayden nodded and grabbed the Nighlok’s shoulder to steady himself as he rose. Looking back one last time to the ship as the sounds became louder, the pair jumped together into a nearby glowing crack in the ground and transported themselves back to the Human World.</p><p> </p><p>The pair landed with huffs inside a clearing. Jayden quickly pulled the spell tag off of his forehead and instantly, it felt like a weight was lifted off of him. Feeling his energy returning to him now that he was outside of the other world, Jayden stood without Deker’s help and took a look around. Jayden recognized the clearing as one that laid not too far from the Shiba House, being just less than an hour away from it. </p><p>“We have no time to lose, we need to get you back to your friends before the Nighlok can catch up with us,” Deker stated, moving beside him. Jayden nodded, glancing back at the still glowing crack in the earth. Together, the pair hurried as fast as they could in the direction of the house.</p><p>A few steps into the tree-line, sounds of Moogers emerging in the clearing came from behind them. Looking over their shoulders, they saw that a large group of Moogers had appeared through the crack, looking for their runaway prisoner.</p><p>“Run,” Deker whispered. Without needing to be told twice, Jayden turned and began to run alongside him through the woods around them, being as careful as he could to avoid drawing too much attention in their direction. </p><p>After a few minutes of running, the sound of approaching footsteps came from the direction they were heading in. Within a few seconds, the forms of Jayden’s team appeared in front of the pair and came to a stop in shock at the sight of a second Jayden. Jayden stared intensely at the one wearing his uniform. </p><p>“Jayden?” Emily said in shock. They all looked back and forth between the two red rangers.</p><p>“What the heck is going on here?” Mike asked.</p><p>“Gemidie,” Deker simply said, staring directly at the one standing with the rangers. Jayden nodded in agreement, moving over to lean against a tree as he felt wariness in his limbs once more. Emily turned her head to watch him, even with a mask on, Jayden could tell she was giving him a worried look at the state he was in.</p><p>“What?” Antonio asked in confusion.</p><p>”That’s not the real me, it’s a fake who’s wearing my face,” Jayden answered, pointing at the other him.</p><p>“You seriously think they’re going to fall for that?” The other Jayden rebutted, folding his arms in annoyance.</p><p>“I do because it’s true. They switched us when I was out during my morning jog,” Jayden argued back.</p><p>“Come on you guys, this is obviously a trap. You don’t actually believe this, do you?” the other asked, looking to his teammates. “They attacked me in the woods and left me be before you got there on purpose, just so that they could pull this trick.” The rangers frowned in consideration.</p><p>“There must be a way for us to figure out who’s telling the truth,” Kevin said.</p><p>“But without this Gemidie purposely revealing their true form, there’s no way of telling who it is,” Mike said. Deker let out a sigh of annoyance, looking over his shoulder. “What?” </p><p>“The other Nighlok were after us before you got here, so they could find us at any moment. I suggest we take this back to the house,” he explained. The Jayden beside him nodded in agreement.  Deker moved over to him and leaned him himself so they could move easily once more. They moved past the baffled rangers. The rangers looked at each other before following them.</p><p>“Are you forgetting that the house is Nighlok proof or are you just going to leave ‘Jayden’ with us to figure who’s who?” Antonio asked as he caught up with the pair.</p><p>“Don’t worry about it,” Deker only said without looking at him. </p><p>“Wait, can you get past the barrier?” Mike asked in surprise. Deker remained silent, choosing to ignore the question in favor of focusing on their journey. “Can you?” Mike repeated, appearing on his other side in his unmorphed form, staring intently at the man. With a sigh, Deker spoke.</p><p>“Yes, my human half allows me to pass your barriers with only minor resistance,” Deker said, refusing to look at him. </p><p>“Really?” Emily asked.</p><p>“Really,” Deker echoed back in a deadpan voice.</p><p>“Have you ever...?” Kevin’s question trailed off as he moved to their other side.</p><p>“No, I haven’t snuck into the house,” Deker replied.</p><p>“Then how do you-“ Kevin began before being cut off.</p><p>“I only did it once years ago, before any of your time. And it wouldn’t be considered sneaking if I was invited by the head of the Shiba clan at that time, is it?” Deker answered, raising a brow at the end and looking down at the young man beside him out of the corner of his eye. Jayden nodded his agreement as they reached the end of the woods and saw the Shiba residence before them. Through the open gates, they could see Mentor Ji waiting for them, the frown on his face deepening at the sight of Deker and the two Jaydens. Deker passed through the entrance without hesitation, though the others still held their breath as he and Jayden stepped through. </p><p>“Guess hoping that that Jayden would be stopped by the barrier would be foolish, huh?” Mike said. The Jayden beside Deker let out a little chuckle and nodded.</p><p>“Not foolish, just would be too easy for our luck,” he called out. When they got to the porch, Deker lowered Jayden down to sit on the ledge. Mentor Ji looked down at Jayden with worry at his state and looked back at Deker in suspicion.</p><p>“Gemidie,” Deker said, looking back at the other Jayden who was walking over to them along with the others.</p><p>“The shapeshifter who can mimic even human DNA,” Mentor Ji whispered. “That explained Jayden’s odd behavior.” </p><p>But how can we be certain that they’re telling the truth?” Mia asked, standing near the seated Jayden with a frown.</p><p>“Is there anything only Jayden could know that this Gemidie wouldn’t?” Kevin asked as he remained beside the other one. Ji frowned and looked between the two Jaydens before he stopped and looked at Deker with consideration.</p><p>“I may know one thing, perhaps,” he said, before turning to the non-injured Jayden. “Jayden? Where did you get your necklace from?” The Jayden’s eyes widened in shock and confusion at the question. </p><p>“What?” He asked. </p><p>“Where did you get your necklace from?” Ji calmed repeated. The Jayden opened his mouth but closed it as he failed to come up with an answer. The other rangers looked on in curiosity and worry. “You know, the one with the old coin tied in a piece of string?” The Jayden opened and closed his mouth again as worried set on his face. His samuraizer fell his grip and onto the ground as panic set in. He began to back away from the group, moving closer and closer to the entrance.</p><p>“The coin necklace, well. You remember, do you, Ji? I got when - you know!” The Jayden smiled worriedly.</p><p>“I do know, do you?” Ji asked. With that, he turned to the seated Jayden. “Do you?” The young man nodded and reached under the collar of his shirt to reveal the said necklace.</p><p>“Of course, I received it from the man who saved me from the Nighloks after they killed my mother,” he said calmly. The other rangers gasped in surprise at the answer, both at the truth behind the necklace and the realization that he was the true Jayden. They all turned and saw that the other one had passed through the gate. With the knowledge that his act was up, the imposter dropped his form.</p><p>Gemidie’s true face looked like a blank mask with a frown on it. The rest of it was a humanoid black form. Altogether, the Nighlok reminded Jayden of a character from a movie he watched a while ago called Spirited Away. Gemidie resembled the form the character in the movie had after it had eaten one of the spirits in the movie, taking on an unsettling form as it mutated from the spirit’s greed.</p><p>“Guess the fun’s over huh, rangers? Why did you have to ruin my fun, Deker?” Gemidie cried, before turning and running off into the woods. The rangers all ran after, leaving Deker, Ji, and Jayden behind. Jayden tried to stand from where he sat but fell back down as his injuries behind to make themselves known once more.</p><p>“I sure they can handle him on their own,” Deker said, before turning to Ji. “You should perhaps take a look at him. Humans, even with spells to protect, aren’t meant to be in the Netherworld.” Ji nodded and moved over to Jayden to help him into the house. As they passed through the doorway, Jayden looked over his shoulder and watched as Deker left through the entrance without any further word.</p><p>The others returned sometime later, a bit exhausted from battle but otherwise unharmed.</p><p>“Gemidie is official Gemidead,” Mike announced. Everyone cringed a bit at the pun but Jayden couldn’t help but laugh. Mike smiled at his enjoyment.</p><p>“I’m so happy you’re ok, Jayden,” Emily said as she took a seat beside him on the cushions in the front room. Jayden nodded his head in agreement.</p><p>“I know we had our suspicions that something about that Jayden as off, but I still feel a bit guilty that we weren’t certain of the switch,” Mia admitted as she took a seat on the couch. </p><p>“Same here, Mia. I mean, you’re supposed to be my best friend and even I couldn’t be certain of if it wasn’t or not,” Antonio said, taking a seat beside her. Mia patted his arm comfortingly. </p><p>“Don’t be, I know how closed off I can be. Gemidie’s suppose to be as much like me as possible. Even I wouldn’t have been certain of the change if it was me,” Jayden said in sympathy. They all said nothing for a few moments afterward Then, Emily gave Jayden a glance before taking a breath and speaking.</p><p>“Hey, Jayden?” She hesitantly asked. When he looked over at her with a welcoming tilt of his head, she continued. “Earlier, when we were trying to figure out who was the real Jayden, you said you got that necklace you’re wearing from a man who saved you after your mother was killed by the Nighlok. Is that true?” Jayden blinked in surprise at the question, having forgotten about that, before nodding his head. “If you don’t might telling the story, could you tell us about that? Not that you need to, I can totally understand if its an uncomfortable subject. You know what, forget I even-“ Jayden held up his hand, cutting Emily’s nervous rambling off.</p><p>“It’s a long story,” he calmly said. She nodded her heading understanding.</p><p>“You know what would go perfectly with a long story?” Mike asked. At their inquiring eyes, he continued. “An ice cream sundae. After everything that’s happened today, we deserve a nice treat to lift our spirits,” he said with a smile. Soon, everyone had smiles on their own faces and looked to Ji for silent permission. With a chuckle, he nodded his head. With excited laughter, the rangers all headed for the kitchen, thoughts of what they’ll make for their sundaes filling their heads.</p><p> </p><p>A few days later, once Jayden’s injuries were almost completely healed and Mentor Ji gave him his approval, Jayden found himself once more making his way through the woods alone. It wasn’t long before he felt the presence of another appear behind him.</p><p>“One would think you would have learned from last time and know better than to go out alone,” Deker chided as he stepped out from behind one of the trees. Jayden turned his head partially towards the half-human, his eyes kept to the ground. </p><p>“Perhaps I know that now that with Gemidie’s defeat, the Nighlok would know better than to use the same scheme twice,” Jayden countered. Deker huffed in agreement, smirking at the hint of smugness in Jayden’s tone.</p><p>“Perhaps,” Deker agreed with a tilt of his head. Jayden turned to fully face the man, curiosity in his eyes. “Why are you here, Red Ranger?” Deker asked once he saw the look. Jayden took a deep breath before speaking.</p><p>“Back on the ship, you said that Gemidie was different than me, what did you mean by that?” Jayden asked. Deker considered the question for a moment before finally answering.</p><p>“His energy. It was nothing like yours,” he answered. Jayden blinked in surprise at the answer. He opened his mouth to say something, but Deker continued on with his answer. “Your energy is uniquely your own. It was what lead me to you the first time I saw you, it was what told me that you would be my opponent,” Something inside Jayden changed at the last part, his expression hardening as he looked to the ground.</p><p>“Your opponent, right. I almost forgot. Would you have saved me otherwise?” Jayden asked, bitterness now in his voice. Deker frowned at the sudden change in tone.</p><p>“No, I would have had no interest interfering with Octoroo’s plan had it been any one of the other rangers,” He answered. At Jayden’s frown, he tilted his head. “You weren’t hoping for a different answer, were you?” Jayden lifted his eyes to glare at the half-human.</p><p>“Forgive me for hoping that despite all evidence pointing otherwise, your humanity has been completely lost in your Nighlok transformation,” he said. Deker looked caught off guard by the answer, before blinking and let out a snort as a smirk appeared on his face.</p><p>“Do not doubt my actions, red ranger. You are nothing more than a means to an end for me. No matter what emotion I may ever feel towards you, in the end,” Deker quickly transformed and pulled Uramasa from its sheathe and pointed it towards Jayden, “you will face Uramasa’s blade and me in the ultimate battle.” Jayden instinctively moved to step away from the sword’s tip but stopped himself. Steeling his expression, he looked up at Deker.</p><p>“I won’t. Once again, forgive me for hoping that freeing you might not completely require one of us potentially dying in the end,” Jayden said and turned to leave. He didn’t make it two steps before Uramasa was swung around him and pressed against his neck. Deker stepped close to him, the left of his front half-pressed closed to the right of Jayden’s back.</p><p>“And why would you ever hope for that. Out of everything I’ve put you through, why would you ever want me to live?” He whispered. Jayden tilted his head back to lessen the bite of the blade, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. He could feel the rebellious side of him push down his self-reservation. As he closed his eyes once more, he turned his head to look Deker in his eyes. He held the stare as familiar purple flames swirled around the half-Nighlok, the tips of the fire brushing against Jayden’s skin like the caress of a lover, and returned him to his human form. They stared at each other for a moment before Jayden finally leaned his head forward and pressed his lips against Deker’s, only holding them against his until moving back once more. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he watched Deker’s blank expression for any indication of anger or disgust. Finally, Uramasa was brought away from his neck and Deker took a step back. “Go,” was the only thing Deker said before turning and walking away from him. Jayden watched him, a little surprised that Deker hadn’t killed him for the kiss, before following his command and headed back for his house. </p><p>Before disappearing among the trees, Jayden looked over his shoulder one last time, giving Deker a considering look, before continuing on his way. With each step, the ember of hope within Jayden’s heart for Deker burned stronger and stronger. Perhaps Deker’s humanity isn’t as lost as the man had claimed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you all enjoyed reading this. If so, why not leave a comment or kudos?</p><p>I hope you all take care!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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